Memory devices, such as Managed NAND storage modules, are used in association with a variety of devices including mobile phone devices (e.g., smartphones), servers (e.g., enterprise server farms, cloud-computing platforms), archival and backup systems, media player devices, environmental sensors, wearable devices, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Examples of memory devices include embedded MultiMediaCard (eMMC), Secure Digital (SD) cards, solid-state drive (SSD) modules, and so forth. A memory device stores data for use by a host device coupled to the memory device, including operating system code, applications and user data (e.g., photo data, video data, etc.).
Although memory devices have a wide range of storage capacities (e.g., 512 megabytes (MB), 256 gigabytes (GB), 1 terabyte (TB)), storage devices are still limited by a maximum storage capacity. For example, in the case of SD cards and eMMC devices, the maximum storage capacity is 2 terabytes. This is due to the 32-bit address argument in a command frame, which limits the memory device to 232 unique memory addresses. Each address in SD cards and eMMC devices can address a 512 byte sector. By addressing 512 byte sectors using the 232 unique memory addresses, the maximum capacity in these systems is 2 TB (512 bytes×232 unique memory addresses).
Previous attempts for increasing the addressable storage capacity of memory devices include changing the number of memory locations each address addresses. For example, some have proposed increasing the sector size from 512 bytes to 4096 bytes. This would enable the storage capacity to increase.
The figures depict embodiments of the present invention for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following discussion that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein can be employed without departing from the principles of the invention described herein.